The Life and Teachings of Buddha

This page provides a comprehensive overview of the life of Siddhartha Gautama, who became known as the Buddha, and his core teachings that form the foundation of Buddhism.

Birth and Early Life of Siddhartha Gautama

The story of Siddhartha Gautama begins with his miraculous birth. His mother, Queen Maya, dreamed of a white elephant descending from heaven, foretelling the birth of a holy child. Siddhartha was born in the Lumbini Gardens, and legend says he could immediately walk and talk. He took seven steps, with lotus flowers appearing under his feet, and declared he wouldn't be reborn.

Highlight: According to Buddhist tradition, Siddhartha's birth was accompanied by miraculous events, signifying his future importance as a spiritual leader.

Shortly after his birth, a prophecy was made that Siddhartha would become either a great king or a holy man. He grew up in a palace surrounded by luxury, being prepared for kingship.

The Four Sights and Siddhartha's Spiritual Journey

When Siddhartha left the palace out of curiosity about life outside, he encountered the Four Sights, which profoundly impacted his worldview:

1. A frail old man, revealing that everyone ages
2. A sick man, showing that illness is a reality for all
3. A dead man, demonstrating the inevitability of death
4. A holy man, suggesting a spiritual answer to suffering is possible

Definition: The Four Sights in Buddhism are pivotal experiences that led Siddhartha Gautama to leave his life of luxury and seek spiritual enlightenment.

These encounters led Siddhartha to leave the palace, his son, and his wife to pursue spiritual enlightenment.

Buddha's Path to Enlightenment

Siddhartha initially followed ascetic practices for six years, living a simple and strict lifestyle in dangerous forests, sleeping on thorns, and starving himself. He learned meditation but became too weak to practice effectively. Realizing that extreme asceticism was not the answer to suffering, he rejected it and sought a middle way.

Siddhartha then sat under the Bodhi tree, determined to find enlightenment through meditation. He was tempted by Mara, a demon representing spiritual obstacles, but continued his meditation. Through this practice, he gained knowledge of all his previous lives, understood the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, and realized how karma affects rebirth. He also understood that everything is impermanent (anicca) and that beings suffer from attachment.

Vocabulary: Karma (or Kamma in Pali) refers to the spiritual principle of cause and effect, where intent and actions of an individual influence their future.

Core Buddhist Teachings

The Three Jewels (Triratna)

The Three Jewels, also known as the Three Refuges, are central values in a Buddhist's life:

1. Buddha: The enlightened one, who serves as a guide rather than a god
2. Dhamma (Dharma): Buddha's teachings, the truth about existence, and a universal law that governs how reality works
3. Sangha: The Buddhist community

Definition: The Three Jewels of Buddhism (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha) are considered the foundation of Buddhist practice and are believed to relieve suffering and give meaning to life.

The Four Noble Truths

1. There is suffering (dukkha)
2. Suffering has a cause (samudaya)
3. Suffering can end (nirodha)
4. There's a way to end suffering (magga)

The Eightfold Path

The Eightfold Path is the practical guide Buddhists can use to overcome suffering, as outlined in the Fourth Noble Truth.

Dependent Arising

This concept teaches that everything depends on supporting conditions, and nothing is independent. Everything is always changing, with karma being an example of dependent arising.

Example: The Tibetan Wheel of Life illustrates dependent arising as applied to the birth, death, and rebirth of beings (samsara).

Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism

The page also briefly compares Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism:

• Theravada Buddhism focuses on the Arhat, a perfected person who has overcome the three poisons and is enlightened.
• Mahayana Buddhism encompasses many different Buddhist traditions, including Pure Land Buddhism and Zen. It emphasizes the Bodhisattva ideal, where enlightened beings choose to remain in the cycle of rebirth to help others achieve enlightenment.

Highlight: While Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism share core beliefs, they differ in their emphasis on individual enlightenment versus helping others achieve enlightenment.

Key Buddhist Concepts

• Dukkha: Suffering or unsatisfactoriness, recognizing that all pleasure is impermanent
• Anicca: Impermanence, the awareness of which leads to letting go of attachment
• Anatta: No-self or no-soul, the understanding that a person exists only because of the parts they're made of, with no separate self

The page concludes by mentioning the story of Kisa Gotami, which illustrates the Buddhist teaching on the universality of death and the importance of accepting impermanence.